Improvement in coal-hods



' 1. H. Mu RPHY.`

Coal-Had.

Patented-March 30,1871'5.

J OHN H. MURPHY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COAL-HODS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 16L433, dated March 30, 1875; application filed February 20, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN H. MURPHY, of the city and county of Vorcester and Gommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Goal-Hods; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a top or plan view of my improved coal-hod. Fig. 2 represents a side view, and Fig. 3 represents, in full lines, a vertical central section on line A B, Fig. l.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, Iwill proceed to describe it more in detail.

In. the drawings, the part marked A is the body of the hod, mounted upon a base, B, and provided with a handle, D, hinged to ears upon the body part A. The front of the body part A is made with a curved spout or opening, A', to the upper outer edges of which is hinged a cover, O, by means of screw-bolts b b, provided with nuts c upon their inner ends, so that said cover can be raised or turned upon its hinges, where it can be held by swinging the handle under it, as shown in the left-hand dotted lines of the cover, VWhile the hod -is being lled, after which it can be dropped back and its flange a shut down over the upper edge of the body part A, so as to perfectly close the upper part of the hod, as indicated in Figs. l and 2.

The upper edge of the body part A is made of such inclination that the liange a of the cover O will t around it nicely, as indicated in the drawings. By making the upper edge of the body part A as shown, the cover O can be made to iit it by means of dies-that is, it can be stamped into the desired shape shown in the drawings from a lia-t piece of sheet metals0 that it requires but very little subsequent hand-labor to it it for use, all that is necessary being to wire the semicircular end C corresponding with the semicircular nose or end Al of the body A, and the making ofthe holes for the bolts b, and securing of the opening thumb-piece d 'when one is used.

Those skilled in the art to which my inven-V tion belongs, as well as every householder, cannot fail to appreciate the practical value and utility of my improved coal-hod, since it can be made very cheaply, and it can be afforded for the same, or about the same, price as the common coalhod, while it possesses the advantage of having a close-fitting cover, which prevents the dropping and wasting ot' coal when 'the bail or handle D is raised (see left-hand dotted lines, Fig. 3) and the hod carried `about for use. It also possesses the advantages of a hod having an adjustable delivery-mouth, since, if the cover is turned up, as shown in right-hand dotted lines, Fig. 3, the mouth will be so contracted as to allow but little coal to escape, and this, for summer use in kitchens when fine coal is used, is quite an advantage, since with the common hod servants and others are liable to turn in more coal than is necessary at a time, even when they are trying to guard against it. But the great advantage due to my hod consists in the cover O, hinged to the front or mouth end of the hod, and tted s0 that it can be raised when the hod is to be filled, and then tightly closed, as shown and described, whereby the coal is securely covered, and prevented from dropping or falling over the upper edge of they bodyAwhen the hod is carried about, or when the coal is being turnedout of the mouth of the hod; and it will be observed, when a person takes hold of the handles D and E in the usual way, the handle or bail D will be raised slightly above the rear end of the cover G, and consequently cover C can be held down by the same hand which holds the bail or handle D during the operation of turning coal out from the hod.

Many serious accidents occur every year in consequence of persons stepping on pieces of coal dropped upon stairs while being carried up and down by means of uncovered hods. and which accidents must be rendered far less frequent, if not wholly prevented, by the general introduction of my improved hod.

My hods can be packed very conveniently for shipment, since by the removal of the screwbolts and nuts b c the covers O and the hod parts A B can each be packed in nests and quickly put together again for use after reaching,` the place of destination.

Having described my improved coal-hod, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the hod formed With discharge opening or spout, as described, the

cover C, pivoted to the front of the hod at or near said spoutor opening, substantially as set forth.

JOHN H. MURPHY.

Titncsscs EDWIN E. MOORE, FRED. L. GOULDING. 

